It’s finally here, Windows 10 is now available and it’s a free upgrade for most people out there I would think. I’ve got the official PR from Microsoft below for you to check out with all the info…

Microsoft Corp. announced that Windows 10 will become available Wednesday as a free upgrade1 or with new PCs and tablets. Windows 10 includes innovations such as Cortana,2 an Xbox app and Microsoft Edge for a familiar, yet more personal and productive, experience. The most secure Windows ever, Windows 10 is delivered as a service and kept automatically up-to-date with innovations and security updates. Windows 10 offers one experience that will become available on the broadest range of devices, including PCs, tablets, phones, Raspberry Pi, Xbox One, HoloLens and more — with more than 2,000 devices or configurations already in testing. The new Windows Store and Windows Software Development Kit also become available Wednesday, opening the door to new and innovative app experiences on Windows 10.

People around the world will celebrate the launch of Windows 10 Wednesday at fan celebrations in 13 countries and via a new yearlong initiative to celebrate people and organizations making a difference around the world. Microsoft encourages people to share how they plan to #UpgradeYourWorld and to vote for a global nonprofit to receive a cash donation by simply mentioning the nonprofit in a post on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtags #UpgradeYourWorld and #vote. More information on Upgrade Your World can be found at http://www.windows.com/upgradeyourworld.

“A new era of Windows starts today. From the beginning, Windows 10 has been unique — built with feedback from over 5 million fans, delivered as a service and offered as a free upgrade,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, at Microsoft. “Windows 10 delivers on our more personal computing vision, with a natural, mobile and trusted experience. Along with our partners, we’re excited to deliver the best Windows ever, which will empower people and organizations around the world to do great things.”

Windows 10: Best Windows everWindows 10 is fast and familiar — with the return of the Start menu and Live Tiles for instant, streaming updates of what matters most. Windows 10 is the most secure Windows Microsoft has ever released, with enhancements to Windows Defender and SmartScreen to help safeguard against viruses, malware and phishing and innovations such as Windows Hello, which offers a fast, secured, password-free way to log in.3 Keeping up-to-date is also simple, as free updates will help people stay current with the latest features and security updates for the supported lifetime of the device.

Windows 10 is more personal and productive, with voice, pen and gesture inputs for natural interaction with PCs. It’s designed to work with Office and Skype and allows you to switch between apps and stay organized with Snap and Task View. Windows 10 offers many innovative experiences and devices, including the following:

Cortana, the personal digital assistant, makes it easy to find the right information at the right time.

New Microsoft Edge browser lets people quickly browse, read, and mark up and share the Web.

The integrated Xbox app delivers the Xbox experience to Windows 10, bringing together friends, games and accomplishments across Xbox One and Windows 10 devices.

Built-in apps including Photos; Maps; Microsoft’s new music app, Groove; and Movies & TV offer entertainment and productivity options. With OneDrive, files can be easily shared and kept up-to-date across all devices.

The all new Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 tablets are available today in the Windows Store.4 Built for work on-the-go, the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps offer a consistent, touch-first experience for small tablets. For digital note-taking needs, the full-featured OneNote app comes pre-installed with Windows 10. The upcoming release of the Office desktop apps (Office 2016) will offer the richest feature set for professional content creation. Designed for the precision of a keyboard and mouse, these apps will be optimized for large-screen PCs, laptops and 2-in-1 devices such as the Surface Pro.

Windows 10: Best platform for businessesFeedback from millions of IT pros has shaped Windows 10, the most extensively tested version of Windows ever. Ready for corporate deployments, Windows 10 will help companies protect against modern cyberattacks, deliver experiences their employees will love and enable continuous innovation with a platform that keeps companies up-to-date with the latest technology. Businesses will be able to control the frequency of their updates and select the features and functionality that are right for each group of their employees.

Windows 10 includes built-in, enterprise-grade security, so customers can replace passwords with more secure options, protect corporate data and corporate identities, and run only the software they trust. New management and deployment tools simplify device management, help lower costs, and enable companies to power their business with the enterprise strength of the Microsoft Azure cloud.

Top apps available on Windows 10The new Windows Store will open Wednesday and begin accepting new apps for Windows 10. The Windows Store offers one-stop shopping for popular free and paid apps, games, movies, TV shows and the latest music, which can work across all Windows 10 devices. The new Windows Store is the only store where people can use Cortana to control apps with their voice5 and get real-time notifications on their app tiles. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help keep devices safer. In addition to existing Windows 8.1 apps such as Netflix, Flipboard, Mint.com, “Asphalt 8: Airborne” and The Weather Channel, the Windows Store provides a constant stream of new and updated Universal Windows Apps and games, including Twitter, “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition beta,” Hulu, iHeartRadio, USATODAY, “Candy Crush Saga” and others including WeChat and QQ, which will launch soon.6

Easy upgrade, devices now availableUpgrading to Windows 10 is easy for customers running a genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC or tablet. Starting Wednesday, people who reserved their upgrade to Windows 10 will be notified in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed. For business customers, Windows 10 is available to start deploying within their work environments, and starting Aug. 1, organizations that have volume licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education.

Retail partners are ready to help people upgrade to Windows 10 with our largest tech bench program ever, including more than 100,000 trained retailers and tens of thousands of stores around the world. Free upgrade programs will be available Wednesday, with Windows 10 software becoming broadly available in retail stores around the world between mid-August and September. Devices running Windows 10 will be available in some retail stores on Wednesday, with many, many more devices to become available in the weeks and months ahead.

Microsoft has also worked closely with retailers to introduce programs to help people easily upgrade, including Best Buy, Bic Camera, Croma, Currys/PC World, Darty, Elkjøp, Fnac, Jarrir, Incredible Connection, Media Markt, Staples, Yamada Denki, Yodobashi and many more leading retailers from around the world.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

1Limited time free upgrade offer for qualified and genuine Windows 7 and 8/8.1 devices. Hardware and software requirements apply; see http://www.windows.com/windows10upgrade for details.2Cortana available in select markets at launch; experience may vary by region and device.3Windows Hello requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors.4An Office 365 subscription is required to edit Office apps on Windows 10 PCs or larger tablets.5Hardware dependent.6Some apps and content sold separately. App and content availability and experience may vary by region and device.

I don’t know about you but I like a good jacket, one that’s waterproof is a plus but it also has to have lots of pockets for all my stuffs. Mia Melon & One Man Outerwear is on Kickstarter and they have several jacket styles for men and women and they’re 99.9% waterproof. They have a membrane between the layers that keeps the water and wind out but yet still let’s your body breathe and they’re insulated to keep you warm too! I like the Stratus jacket myself, love all the pockets it has. They have 31 days left to go on Kickstarter and need about $20,000 to meet their goal which I think they’ll get…

It’s time for your audience of outdoor enthusiasts and fashion gurus to unite with Mia Melon and One Man Outerwear’s line of stylish, high-tech weatherproof jackets.

Mia Melon has just launched their new line for men, One Man Outerwear, on Kickstarter. It’s their first line of men’s weather-resistant coats, which means no more flashy, over-priced branded outerwear that compromises looking good for being comfortable.

With these jackets, backers will get a high-tech shell material that is lined with a cozy micro fleece and two waterproof and windproof poly membrane layers that keep 99.9% of water out. There are hoodies and jackets available on Kickstarter for men and women in a variety of different colors, styles and with different features. From removable hoods to street-inspired cargo pockets, you’ll feel warm and comfortable in any weather conditions – and look great too!

Get your own jacket on Kickstarter for an extremely discounted price of just $99. If you would like to learn more about Mia Melon or One Man Outerwear, visit http://bit.ly/OneManOuterwearKS.

So here’s something on Kickstarter that can do pretty much everything including charge your car battery and it’s aptly named Mr. Everything. It’s a portable speaker, light, battery and storage device that can be used for anything like going to the beach or for emergencies. There’s even a Mr. Everything Plus which comes with a power outlet so you can plug in your laptop or other things. There’s three days left on Kickstarter and they only need a little under $5,000 to be fully funded. My only question is where’s Mrs. Everything?

Quote: “Mr. Everything is the all-in-one smart device charging station that includes additional features to keep you organized and prepared, no matter where life takes you! Mr. Everything includes charging capability for all of your smart devices (it can even jump your car battery!), a utility box to organize your charging cords and cables, LED lights, and even Bluetooth speakers to provide music wherever you go. Mr. Everything+ includes all of the Mr. Everything features with the added bonus of a universal AC power outlet.”

Yep, as of today iOS device users can play mean Girls for free. Not much more to say, if you’re interested PR is below for you..

It’s not my fault you’re like, in love with me, or something! Indie developer So Much Drama is proud to announce that Mean Girls the game, the tiara-defense game inspired by the 2004 Paramount Pictures film, is free to play and available now on the App store.

After listening to its growing, dedicated fan-base, the So Much Drama team wanted to satisfy its community with a totally free-to-play version of the tiara/tower-defense game, Mean Girls. The new free-to-play Mean Girls is an easy-to-play, addictive iOS title that couples the humor, sass, and deliciously charming characters from the classic movie with instantly rewarding tower/tiara defense gameplay steeped inMean Girls movie lore. Fans who had paid for the original app will receive a North Shore Student ID card, which retains the original paid experience by granting access to special Mean Girls-themed challenge modes, removing ads, and more.

Mean Girls’ rich selection of 19 cliques to choose from offers different attack styles to protect North Shore against the youthful onslaught of the new Plastics. From Band Geeks and Preps, to Regulation Hotties and Burnouts, Mean Girls has the gamut of high school cliques covered. It offers seven different ways to play with movie-based gameplay modes such as You Can’t Sit With Us, Social Suicide, She Doesn’t Even Go Here, and The Limit Does Not Exist. For players dedicated to knowing everything about the super awesome Mean Girls world, So Much Drama has peppered the game with more than 70 life-ruining trivia questions referring back to original film.

Additional Mean Girls game highlights include:

Fiendishly fun tower-defense/tiara-defense gameplay

Movie Trivia Quiz: Built for fans!

Get giddy with tons of fun high school characters and cliques

In-depth strategy game to test your wits against North Shore’s newest Plastics

AIDA64 is a great tool for PC users as it’s a full suite of diagnostic tools and benchmarks and it’s available on Android but now you can get it for iOS devices and Windows Phone as well. Full details below for you…

FinalWire released the smartphone edition of its leading system information utility, AIDA64 for iOS and Windows Phone. With the new apps, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners as well as users of Windows-based phones and tablets can get accurate information about the hardware that powers their devices. The GUI of the freely available apps uses the design language of the platform to ensure that users feel at home when navigating the graphical user interface.

“These applications complete the AIDA64 mobile portfolio, and we do hope that the utility will be just as popular on iOS and Windows Phone as on Android. The Android app has been downloaded more than 160,000 times since its release early March”, commented Tamás Miklós, lead developer at FinalWire. “It was exactly 20 years ago this month that we started the development of AIDA64, and we have come a long way since the DOS-only first edition. Just like in the past two decades, we will continue to do our best to follow hardware technology innovations and to provide the most accurate hardware and software information to our users.”

The freely downloadable iOS and Windows Phone apps are made available on the 20th anniversary of AIDA64. The development of the first predecessor of the utility, which has since become a quasi standard in system information and diagnostics, started in June 1995. Running on DOS, the program then called ASMDemo provided basic information about the PC’s hardware and software environment and became publicly available in 1996.

The iOS app, which requires iOS 7.0 or later, can be downloaded from the App Store for free. The Windows Phone version, which can be installed on Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile Preview, is also freely available in the Windows Phone Store. Currently, both apps have an English user interface.

FinalWire plans to update the Windows Phone app to UWP (Universal Windows Platform) in the second half of 2015, which will allow a single app to run on all Windows devices, including Windows 10 based PCs, smartphones, tablets, Xbox and even the HoloLens.

I need a new phone, I have the HTC One M7 which still works fine, but I just want something newer. My contract with AT&T expired a couple/few months ago so I’m up for something new but gone are the days of free phone it seems with new contracts. If I want something new II ‘m stuck with the AT&T Next installment plan or having to pay a good chunk of money up front. I wouldn’t mind the new Samsung Galaxy S6 active as it’s certainly a phone I think I would like but it’s just too much money up front or even in installments really. Anyway, the Galaxy S6 active is coming to AT&T June 12th and it’s only coming to AT&T it seems. Details below for you..

For the third summer in a row, AT&T is bringing its customers the toughest and most advanced member of the Galaxy S family. The Samsung Galaxy S6 active – available only at AT&T2 – is designed with your active lifestyle in mind. It gives you the durability you want while boasting a sleek, lightweight design and all of the innovation the Galaxy S6 has to offer. Beginning on June 12, you can purchase the Galaxy S6 active on www.att.com or at AT&T stores in Camo White, Camo Blue, or Gray.

Galaxy S6 active PricingWell qualified customers can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S6 active for $0 down on AT&T Next for$23.17 with 30 device payments on NextSM 243, $28.96 per month at 24 payments on Next 18, or $34.75per month at 20 payments on Next 12.

Galaxy S6 active PromotionsFor a limited time, customers can also enjoy a pair of deals when they purchase the Galaxy S6 active:

Get the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 for free with a two year agreement.4

The Samsung Wireless Charging Pad is available for 50 percent off with the purchase of the smartphone with Next or a two year agreement.5

Galaxy S6 active FeaturesBuilt to withstand whatever everyday life throws its way, the Samsung Galaxy S6 active has IP68 certified casing that is water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, shock resistant, and dust proof.6Whether you’re at the office working or outside exploring, the device’s high-power performance and innovation keep you connected, productive and entertained. Additional key features include:

Display: The Galaxy S6 active has a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED® display with 577ppi that automatically adapts to the content you’re viewing – even outdoors.

Camera: With a double-tap of the home button, the 16MP rear-facing and 5MP front-facing cameras launch faster than ever. Auto-Real time High Dynamic Range (HDR) captures clever shots in virtually any light, and the front camera’s wide-angle lens allows you to take epic selfies.

Operating System: Android™ 5.0.2 (Lollipop).

Processor: The Samsung Galaxy S6 active comes with Octa-core 64-bit processor, Samsung’s fastest and most powerful processor in a smartphone.

Storage: 32GB of internal memory7

Voice Calling: HD Voice capable.8

Battery Life: The Samsung Galaxy S6 active features a 3500mAh and embedded wireless charging technology that works with most wireless charging pads on the market, so there’s no more looking for a cord or place to plug in.

Outdoor Features: Activity Zone is the ideal companion for outdoor adventures, and includes a quick launching compass, flashlight, stopwatch, and more.

Business Ready: Samsung KNOX provides security and protection right out of the box, along with support for MDM partners, making device management easy for IT administrators.

Supporting Quote “As we’ve shown over the past three years as the exclusive provider of Samsung’s Galaxy S active family, we feel that our customers shouldn’t have to trade durability for best-in-class specs,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Device Marketing and Developer Services, AT&T Mobility. “The Galaxy S6 active is the best Galaxy S6 in the market. It combines all the premium features of the Galaxy S6, but also is durable enough to handle wear and tear. You can’t find this device – with its combination of performance and dependability, on the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network – with any other carrier. And on top of that, our customers will be able to choose between two cool new colors – camo white and camo blue.”

“With the Galaxy S6 active, we’re delivering consumers with high durability coupled with the powerful performance of Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone,” said Tim Baxter, President & COO & Mobile Division GM of Samsung Electronics America. “The result is a smartphone that brings ruggedized capabilities and water resistance coupled with the camera, battery and design features that empower our consumers and business users to do more.”

Device Eco-ratingThe Samsung Galaxy S6 active has earned five out of five stars on AT&T’s Eco-Rating system. The system rates the environmental factors of AT&T branded handset devices. AT&T created the Eco-Rating system to empower consumers to make better informed decisions when selecting a device. For more information about this device’s rating, AT&T’s Eco-Rating System, and how you can join AT&T in making a difference, please visit http://att.com/ecospace.

Spartan RacesThe Samsung Galaxy S6 active will be featured and available for purchase in on-site shops at upcoming Reebok Spartan Race events. Reebok Spartan Race, the world’s leading Obstacle Race, is an event designed to push your limits, test your strength and challenge your endurance.

Join AT&T and Samsung at the races in Breckenridge, Colorado on June 13; Dallas, Texas on June 20; Midway, Utah on June 27; and Palmerton, Pennsylvania on July 11. For more information on the races, please visit www.spartan.com.

At the company’s most recent I/O conference, Google unveiled a host of new products including a photo management service called Google Photos. The application is designed to be your one-stop location for all of your photo needs, including online storage, organizing your library, and sharing files with others, and shows that the California-based company isn’t slowing down when it comes to housing the world’s data.

Unlimited Data

Perhaps the biggest announcement was that Google is offering unlimited storage of images and videos for free. This includes photos up to 16 MP in quality and movies with a resolution up to 1080p. If you need to store files that are larger than this, they’ll start to eat into your Google Drive storage plan instead. While this will be more than enough for the majority of users, those looking to make larger prints may need a higher fidelity.

The service, which is available for the web as well as mobile platforms Android and iOS, compares favorably to rival platforms from Apple and Microsoft, who offer just 5 GB and 15 GB of free data allowance to users.

More Than Just Storage

Google Photos isn’t simply a storage platform though. The company has also introduced features such as Assistant as well as new ways to organize your photo library. Assistant acts as a sort of notification center for your photos. From here, you’ll be able to find out information such as if your latest photos are being backed up or if your phone needs to be charged before it can start uploading your files to the servers.

One of the most interesting things about the service’s unveiling was how Google aims to make organizing our photos much easier. Your images will be clustered into “stories’ or “collections” of similar pictures and you’ll be able to search for items, people, or locations through text. In a feature similar to Apple’s Faces, where you tag a person by name to see other images containing the person, Google Photos use facial recognition software to group individuals together without the need to painstakingly apply metadata to each file

As more of our information becomes a part of the cloud, many of us will undoubtedly question the security these kinds of services offer. How do you feel about trusting so much of your data to large companies? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

So I woke up today to find a new icon in the notification area of my taskbar in Windows 8.1. I clicked on it and found that I could get Windows 10 for free but I needed to reserve it of course and then it would be pre-loaded and ready to go for me at launch. I grabbed the screenshots for you of the process…

Times certainly have changed haven’t they, quad core smartphones used to be extremely expensive, but now you can get them unlocked off-contract for less than $200 brand new. That’s a price that I think is within most peoples reach in terms of affordability. NUU Mobile has just announced that it’s launching the X3 Android smartphone at the end of May for only $179.99, and that’s the MSRP price so we’ll surely see it lower than that. Specs are decent for the price with a 4.5” screen at 960×540 resolution with an 8mp read camera and 2mp front camera. The phone will come with Android 4.4 but will be upgraded to 5.0 later this year. The phone comes with 8gb of storage but you can use a microSD card for an additional 32gb. More details and info below for you..

NUU Mobile today launches its X3, the company’s second 4G LTE unlocked phone. The sleek X3 is built on Android’s 4.4 KitKat operating system and will sell for $179.99 MSRP through online retailers including BestBuy.com, HSN.com, Target.com, and NUUmobile.com.

Performance and Power

The X3’s sleek frame houses a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon processor making tasks smooth and seamless. And the KitKat operating system gives users the ability to multitask with ease – stream videos, email, text, social media, online radio, download the latest apps and games. The operating system will be upgradable to Lollipop 5.0 later this summer and offers new productivity options and a much-improved Google Now.

“We want to provide our customers with a phone loaded with the latest technology and innovative features without the high price,” said John Murtha, vice president of sales for NUU Mobile. “The X3 takes our product offering to the next level by meeting the needs of consumers who want an affordable, feature-rich LTE device with the freedom to choose their own carrier and plan.”

Clarity and Sharpness

The X3 features a crisp 4.5-inch qHD display with wide-angle view, making the screen come to life with crystal clarity and vivid graphics when enjoying movies, videos and games.

The X3 arms consumers with an 8 MP rear camera with low-light sensor to take award-worthy photos in any kind of lighting, and a 2 MP front camera.

Functionality and Flexibility

Consumers can stay connected and multitask with LTE speed on T-Mobileâand AT&Tâ LTE networks including Cricket Wireless, Lyca Mobile, MetroPCS, Net10 Wireless, Straight Talk and more. And with Dual SIM cards, consumers can have two phone numbers on one device, eliminating the need to carry separate phones for work and personal life.

The X3 also boasts an expandable memory with microSDä (up to 32 GB) and removable lithium-polymer battery.

The X3 will come with a two-year limited warranty, as NUU Mobile recently announced that all newly-manufactured devices would come with a two-year limited warranty. NUU Mobile also offers reliable U.S.-based customer support via both phone and email.

Consumers can personalize the X3 with an interchangeable back cover available in a variety of bold colors including pink, blue and white. The back covers will be sold online in a set of three for $19.99.

Additional accessories including protective cases and glass screen protectors will be available for $19.99 each through select online retailers as well as in Meijer stores.

So Verizon just announced it’s buying AOL for 4.4 billion dollars. I’m a Verizon customer for cable, phone and internet and I have to wonder what this means to me? I can’t stand AOL, I really hope they don’t force us to use AOL services in one form or another.. Whatever, full PR below for you..

Taking another significant step in building digital and video platforms to drive future growth, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the signing of an agreement to purchase AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) for $50 per share — an estimated total value of approximately $4.4 billion.

Verizon’s acquisition further drives its LTE wireless video and OTT (over-the-top video) strategy. The agreement will also support and connect to Verizon’s IoT (Internet of Things) platforms, creating a growth platform from wireless to IoT for consumers and businesses.

AOL is a leader in the digital content and advertising platforms space, and the combination of Verizon and AOL creates a scaled, mobile-first platform offering directly targeted at what eMarketer estimates is a nearly $600 billion global advertising industry. AOL’s key assets include its subscription business; its premium portfolio of global content brands, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, MAKERS and AOL.com, as well as its millennial-focused OTT, Emmy-nominated original video content; and its programmatic advertising platforms.

Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO, said: “Verizon’s vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform. This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience.”

He added, “AOL has once again become a digital trailblazer, and we are excited at the prospect of charting a new course together in the digitally connected world. At Verizon, we’ve been strategically investing in emerging technology, including Verizon Digital Media Services and OTT, that taps into the market shift to digital content and advertising. AOL’s advertising model aligns with this approach, and the advertising platform provides a key tool for us to develop future revenue streams.”

Tim Armstrong, AOL chairman and CEO, will continue to lead AOL operations after closing.

Armstrong said, “Verizon is a leader in mobile and OTT connected platforms, and the combination of Verizon and AOL creates a unique and scaled mobile and OTT media platform for creators, consumers and advertisers. The visions of Verizon and AOL are shared; the companies have existing successful partnerships, and we are excited to work with the team at Verizon to create the next generation of media through mobile and video.”

The transaction will take the form of a tender offer followed by a merger, with AOL becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon upon completion.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions and is expected to close this summer.

Verizon expects to fund the transaction from cash on hand and commercial paper. The company also continues to expect to return to pre-Vodafone transaction credit ratings in the 2018-2019 timeframe.